Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Rugby Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Rugby

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $2,114 in Rugby.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $3,198 in Rugby.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $4,282 in Rugby.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 5% more expensive than Rugby, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 65% above, Rugby 58% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.70

$20.34 £15.15

-21.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.8

$81.5 £60.7

-20.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.05

$9.39 £6.99

11.93%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$4.69 £3.50

-38.81%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 €1.93

$2.01 £1.49

11.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$1.40 £1.04

7.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.01

$5.39 £4.02

-35.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$6.16 £4.59

-37.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.61 £1.20

-29.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.59 £1.19

10.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$2.66 £1.98

-33.83%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$3.72 £2.77

-13.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.62

$10.95 £8.15

23.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$7.94 £5.92

-0.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.67

$13.84 £10.31

14.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.60 £1.94

-11.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.72 £1.28

-1.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$2.07 £1.54

-2.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$2.79 £2.07

-11.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.66 £1.23

10.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.41 £1.05

41.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.11 £0.83

73.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$1.39 £1.04

-43.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.69

$17.63 £13.13

-62.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.93

$12.24 £9.12

-53.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$3.45 £2.57

-60.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$4.05 £3.02

-26.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$2.78 £2.07

-14.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.23

$94.8 £70.6

-51.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$4.55 £3.39

-5.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$1.25 £0.93

-34.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.76

$24.62 £18.34

-25.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.89 £1.41

8.99%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$34.3K €29.5K

$39.0K £29.1K

-12.21%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$39.3K €33.8K

$40.8K £30.4K

-3.63%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$148 €127

$284 £212

-48.00%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$20.52 €17.67

$23.47 £17.48

-12.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.11

$42.66 £31.77

-7.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.20

$50.2 £37.41

-4.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.29

$13.79 £10.27

37.20%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.91

$13.37 £9.96

-31.34%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$614 €529

$1,395 £1,039

-56.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$14.0K £10.4K

14.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$110 £82.2

-5.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.22

$36.29 £27.03

15.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.9

$117 £86.9

-19.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$108 £80.1

11.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,402

$802 £598

102.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,081

$805 £600

55.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,609

$1,548 £1,153

95.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,740

$1,522 £1,133

32.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,716

$5,067 £3,774

53.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,679

$4,348 £3,239

-1.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,381

$3,287 £2,448

-51.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

5.76

-33.85%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Rugby: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $802 in Rugby. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rugby pays 105% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $81.0 in Rugby for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $296 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Lisbon vs Rugby: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Rugby differ by about 5% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $2,114 including rent). Rugby is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Rugby earns 105% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $802 in Rugby. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $1,395 in Rugby. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 10% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,114 in Rugby versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Rugby but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Rugby the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Rugby are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Rugby gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.